Get an HIV test is the responsible thing to do. Know your status so that you can protect your health and the health of those you love. Here is a list of HIV testing centers in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

2016 was the year we significantly scaled-up our clinical services by conducting missions all over Palawan. We tripled the number of women that we reached in 2015. We also made a fundamental change to the Youth Advocate Program. Instead of only working with young people in our ten communities, we opened it up and now work with youth all over Puerto Princesa. The impact has been immediate and future looks promising.

Children as young as 12 can legally have sex. Until they are 18 if they want to access HIV testing or contraceptives they need to get parental consent. This issue recently came to a head when two boys asked us for help with STI symptoms.

Staff

Mary Josephine Amit (Mai), is a nurse of Ugat ng Kalusugan. Together with the other clinical team members, Mai provides clinical health services to women in our office clinic and community sites in Puerto Princesa.

Before joining us, Mai worked as a nurse at the Coron Rural Health Unit with the Department of Labor and Employment. She also served as a Charge Nurse at Mypocketdoctor, one of the first telemedicine companies in the Philippines. She is also an experienced Construction Site Nurse.

Mai earned her Bachelors degree in Nursing from Our Lady of Fatima University in 2012. She passed the Philippine Licensure Exam in the same year.

Jay Arguelles was born and raised in Narra, Palawan. He graduated from Panacan National High School in Narra in 2002. Prior to joining the ROH team, Jay was a personal driver for three years. Though primarily responsible for driving, Jay also carries out multiple activities in the field, including helping staff with setting up materials and assisting with entertaining kids and crying babies.

Before joining Roots of Health Jay had an illustrious career as a stuntman and dancer.

May Arzaga is our resident midwife and Clinical Team Head. Together with clinical team, May ensures that all of the pregnant women in our communities receive pre and post-natal care. May also co-ordinates and attends the deliveries for all of our clients and refers them to partner clinics if a client wishes to give birth at a medical facility.

Prior to joining us, May worked as full time midwife in both clinical and community settings. While working for the Department of Health Rural Health Unit in Aracelli, an Island municipality in Palawan she delivered over 100 babies. In 2012 May returned to Puerto Princesa and continued her practice at J&M Alfonso Birthing Home.

May completed her Midwifery studies at Palawan State University in 2008 and passed the Philippine Midwifery Board Exam the same year.

Ruiza Bersales (Sang) is our Internal Bookkeeper / Petty Cash Custodian. She handles petty cash disbursements and liquidations for staff and assists Gehn with the financial record keeping for the organization. When possible, she also joins the staff on Friday or Saturday nights for the sundown clinic at Baywalk.

Prior to joining Roots of Health, Sang worked as a Costumer Service Representative at Palawan Jollibee. She also worked at Palawan Medical City Inc. as a Purchasing Analyst and was the Officer-in-Charge at Palawan Medical City in El Nido.

She graduated in April 2013 from Palawan State University with Bachelor of Science and Business Administration with a major in Marketing Management.

Melinda D. Buñag is our Health Outreach Coordinator. Melinda is responsible for a variety of significant activities including overseeing the organization’s clinical outreach expansion, liaising with government and other partners, and serving on the Executive Committee of the organization. She provides support to Roots of Health to achieve its vision of providing high quality programs aimed at women and young people in community settings.

Prior to joining Ugat ng Kalusugan, Melinda completed 10 years of professional NGO work experience with Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Culion Foundation, PATH Foundation Philippines, and Philippine Business for Social Progress as a Community Organizer and Team Supervisor for community-based outreach projects on Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. She also served in the academe for three years at Western Philippines University. She has a solid background on project planning, implementation and Monitoring & Evaluation. She possesses strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work in a team and interact in cross-cultural settings.

Melinda graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business, with a major in Economics from Western Philippines University in April 2000.

Rowena F. Clasara (Weng) is Ugat ng Kalusugan’s Monitoring & Evaluation Officer. Together with the M&E Manager, Weng is responsible for the organization’s data collection, entry and analysis. She works with the M&E team to ensure high quality and reliable data are collected, entered and analyzed in a timely manner.

Prior to joining UNK, Weng worked as a Sales Information Specialist where she developed her skills in the Monitoring & Evaluation process.

Weng graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture Degree from Palawan State University.

Maria Robelle Lahoz Cortezano (Belle) is the Director of Community Programs. Belle plans, organizes, and coordinates the reproductive health education classes, the Community Health Advocates (CHAs) and clinical services. She also trains young people on how to become peer counselors on reproductive health issues. Prior to joining us she conducted English tutorial services to Korean nationals willing to learn the language.

Belle completed her Bachelor of Secondary Education in English from Palawan State University in April 2011.

Daisy Comia Ellorquez is a nurse for Ugat ng Kalusugan. Together with the other clinical team members, Daisy provides clinical health services to women in our community sites. Daisy also conducts reproductive and general health education classes for women and girls in Pulang Lupa and Little Tondo.

Prior to joining us, Daisy worked as a nurse in both clinical and rural health unit settings with the Department of Labor and Employment, Medicare Hospital and Araceli Rural Health Unit (all in Palawan). She also served as a nurse in the Narra Rural Health Unit under the Provincial Health Office of the Provincial Government of Palawan.

Daisy earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Our Lady of Fatima University in Manila and passed the Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination in 2008.

Erlyn A. Española is Youth Team teacher at Ugat ng Kalusugan. With the Youth Team, she teaches comprehensive sexuality education to high school students, and helps train and support Youth Advocates.

Prior to joining Ugat ng Kalusugan, Erlyn worked as an Encoder at All Snacks Marketing Inc. and as a Team Supervisor with the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Population Survey. Most recently, Erlyn also served as a 5th grade advisor and subject teacher in Technology Livelihood Education, Filipino, Computer, Character Education and English for Grades 8 and 10 at Puerto Princesa United Methodist School.

Originally from Narra, Palawan, Erlyn earned her degree in Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication with a Major in Broadcasting at Palawan State University in April 2011, as well as a Uniting for Education Certificate from Fullbright College in 2016.

Susan Evangelista is the Founder of Roots of Health and currently serves as the organization’s Director of Youth. Susan oversees all aspects of the high school and community youth programs. Prior to the founding of Roots of Health, Susan worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines and went on to teach at the Ateneo de Manila University for 30 years. While a faculty member at Ateneo, she also worked in Nigeria’s University of Maiduguri, in a Burmese Refugee Camp in Thailand, in Cambodia’s Royal University of Phnom Penh, and in Osaka Gaidai, Japan. She has published academic books and articles as well as creative pieces – both fiction and nonfiction – and handled various administrational jobs in the university, notably Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies. She also worked with ACELT, an outreach organization that conducts teacher training all over the Philippines.

In 2000 Susan retired from Ateneo and moved to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, where she is currently a consultant at Palawan State University. Susan is also adjunct faculty with the SAIDI foundation in Manila and Secretary of the Board of Bahatala, a local orthopedic rehabilitation NGO, funded by the British Palawan Trust in England and the international Christian Blind Mission.

Susan received her Bachelors degree from Swarthmore College, her Master of Applied Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, her Master of Asian Studies from the University of the Philippines, and her Doctor of Philosophy in Philippine Studies from the University of the Philippines.

Mark Vil B. Favila is an Associate Nurse. Prior to joining Roots of Health, Mark held a number of health positions across Palawan. Most recently he was the Health Officer at the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, where he provided basic and emergency care to visitors of the park.

Mark gained experience while working in the Northern Palawan Provincial and Roxas Medicare Hospitals. He also worked as a Public Health Nurse in the municipalities of Roxas, Taytay and Cagayancillo. In addition to all of this, Mark worked as a staff nurse of a private birthing home where he honed his labor, delivery and postpartum care skills.

Mark earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Palawan State University and passed the Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination in 2008.

Gehnefer Lavirez (Gehn) is our internal bookkeeper. She handles the administrative aspects of running the organization, including preparing employee benefit payments and making monthly finance reports. She also assists the teachers with the Educational Support Program for children when time allows.
Prior to joining us, Gehn worked as a bookkeeper at All Snacks Marketing, Inc. in Puerto Princesa City.

Gehn graduated with a degree in Business Administration and a major in Economics from Palawan State University in 2004.

Rica Andrea Pacaldo is our Administrative Assistant. Rica is responsible for the administrative needs of the organization including keeping track of files and expenses, ensuring the smooth operations of the office. She also conducts data entry and analysis of the information gathered from Ugat ng Kalusugan’s community sites.

Prior to joining us, Rica worked as a Cashier at Lily Hill Trading in Puerto Princesa City. Rica completed a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management at Palawan State University and graduated in April, 2010.

Ivann Polizon is one of our youth teachers. Together with Jan and Connie, he prepares and conducts reproductive health education sessions for young people in the schools and communities that we work in.

Before joining us, Ivann worked as a private school teacher. He completed his Bachelor of Secondary Education, majoring in English, at Palawan State University and passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers in 2013.

Ciara Lee Quiban is Ugat ng Kalusugan’s encoder supporting the Monitoring and Evaluation Team. Ciara is responsible for the encoding in clinical services, surveys and KAPs for analysis. She works with the M&E team to ensure high quality and reliable data are collected, entered and analyzed in a timely manner.

Prior to joining UNK, Ciara worked as Sales Associate at Tru Point Guns & Ammo where she developed her skills in encoding and data Entry.

Charlene E. Rabang (Kleng) is a Nurse at Ugat ng Kalusugan. Together with the other clinical team members, she provides clinical health services to women in our clinic and community sites. She also conducts lectures for the organization’s Reproductive Health Information Education Campaigns.

Prior to joining Ugat ng Kalusugan, Kleng worked locally at the Palawan Provincial Hospital (Ospital ng Palawan) where she developed her nursing skills in a hospital setting. She most recently worked at the Armed Forces Hospital in Khamis Mushayt, Saudi Arabia where she worked on maternal health through assignments in the Delivery Room and with OB-Gynecologists.

Kleng earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Adventist University of the Philippines and passed the Nursing Licensure Examination in 2007.

Jan Michael Servando is the Assistant Youth Director. With the teaching team, he helps create and teach workshops and education sessions focused on reproductive health in schools and community sites. He also provides general support to the staff with other administrative and programmatic needs.

Prior to joining us, Jan worked as an English teacher in a public school, as an instructor at Palawan State University in Taytay, Palawan, and also as an ESL Teacher in a Korean Language School.

Amina Evangelista Swanepoel (Ami) is the Founding Executive Director of Roots of Health and the local administrative arm of the organization, Ugat ng Kalusugan. Ami provides leadership in the day-to-day running of Roots of Health and trains staff in implementing all Roots of Health programming. She is the liaison with the Roots of Health Board of Directors in the United States, and with the Philippine-based Ugat ng Kalusugan Advisory Committee. She oversees the organization’s finances and raises new funds for the organization. She is currently working with the Board of Directors in a Strategic Planning process to ensure the continued success of the organization.

Prior to this post, Ami spent two years at Human Rights Watch where she researched and documented human rights abuses in Asia. She also held a position with the Guttmacher Institute researching health and HIV issues among youth in Sub-Saharan Africa. She worked in the Program Division of UNHCR in India, where she created an HIV information curriculum currently being implemented among refugee populations in New Delhi. She also served as the Coordinating Manager at Anthony Knerr & Associates, a consulting firm specialized in strategic planning and counsel for nonprofits.

Amina received her Bachelors degree from Wellesley College, and her Master of International Affairs and Master of Public Health from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and the Mailman School of Public Health.

Marcus Swanepoel is the Strategy, Finance and Operations Director of Roots of Health. He oversees the organization’s financial, media, planning, and M&E departments. Marcus meets and coordinates with staff and stakeholders to ensure that all program strategies, budgets and impact are aligned. He also manages the organization’s media presence, takes photographs and creates online and print media for programmatic and promotional use.

Before joining the organization Marcus gained experience in teaching, media and management across Africa, Asia and North America. He now draws on the skills that he developed in these fields to enhance the overall performance of the organization.

Marcus received his Bachelor’s degree from Rhodes University where he majored in English and Journalism. After graduating he earned his Post Graduate Diploma in Enterprise Management, also from Rhodes University. He earned his Post Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of South Africa.

Shery Ann Villagracia is a nurse at Ugat ng Kalusugan. Together with the clinical team Shery provides high quality services to vulnerable populations in resource poor communities. She takes are to ensure that data collected is entered and used to ensure that women receive the services on schedule. Shery is also responsible for keeping track of the commodities inventory.

Prior to joining us, Shery worked as a staff nurse in several hospitals in Palawan namely the Southern Palawan Provincial Hospital, Quezon Medicare Hospital, Roxas Medicare Hospital and Ospital ng Palawan. She most recently worked in King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.

Shery earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Palawan State University in Palawan and passed the Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination in 2007.